As the day of their departure neared, a palpable... No, uneasy wasn't the right way to describe it. No one appeared unhappy or scared of the coming events. It was more of a sense of tension. Everyone in the house seemed to be aware on some level that something would be changing soon. Ashe knew the most, having been on the plan for a good long while now. Wendy, by virtue of her age and hard life, could pick up changes in Kravos' routine. As for the children? Well, they were close to their mother and, since Wendy knew something was up, they could tell it too.

With that in mind, it wasn't a surprise that a soft knock on Kravos' solar door came earlier one rainy morning three weeks before the intended departure date.

"M- Kravos, I need to speak with you," Wendy said.

Kravos fought the urge to grin at the way she jutted out her chin, trying to appear more calm and cool than she no doubt was. That being said, the fact that Wendy was even here in front of him showed that she was rediscovering her backbone and personal strength. It made him happy. She would need that strength to survive in the world.

'Whichever world that may be.'

"Of course, of course. Come in, I have a pot of tea I'd be happy to share," he said, waving the woman inside.

Wendy hesitated, but only for the slightest moment. Another sign of her growing strength. Settling into one of Kravos' spare armchairs in front of the fire, she waited silently until Kravos served up a mug of herbal tea. Bringing up the cup, Wendy inhaled the steam deeply.

"Thank you," she said. "The rain's chill is sitting quite heavily today. Hopefully, this will chase it off."

"Indeed," Kravos hummed, pouring himself a cup. "Where are the children?"

"Ashe agreed to entertain them for a while. I think she is reading to them."

"That will be good for all of them. Out loud reading is excellent for strengthening both reading and comprehension."

Wendy looked up at him, a half-smiling playing at her lips. "I know that, Kravos. I'm a teacher."

Kravos laughed. "Yes, yes you are. I apologize. Now, what is it I can help you with?"

With that, there was a sharp turn in Wendy's face. Her eyes narrowed, mouth tightening. "Something is going on, Kravos. Do not deny it! I can feel it in the air, I can see it in the way you and Ashe look at each other! So tell me! What are you planning? I agreed to stay on your island with your family because you promised a safe place for my children and I! Are you taking back that promise? Because I will leave if that is so. I will pick up our things, grab Ethan and Cindy, and walk out the front door immediately!"

"Oh, my dear," Kravos said. He wanted to reach out to take Wendy's hands but doubted such a gesture would be appreciated. "I promise that I am not taking away your safe haven. Quite the opposite, in fact."

"What do you mean?" Wendy asked, eyes narrowing even further.

'Time to take this from the top, I suppose.' The old Dragonborn sighed, settling into his own armchair. He specifically chose the one across from Wendy instead of the one behind his desk, allowing them to remain on a somewhat even footing. "Tell me, Wendy. Where do you think I am from?"

"Why is that important?" the woman demanded, grip on her mug tightening.

"Because I intend to return there in a short time."

.

.

.

Wendy's face went white at his words, but she swallowed hard and took a deep breath. "Oh... And where will that be?"

"Within a few weeks. Perhaps a month. Now-" Kravos leaned forward "-back to my question. Where do you think I'm from?"

"Well... I..." Wendy bit her lip, staring down into the dark liquid of her tea.

"It's alright, take your time," Kravos said. "Don't worry. There aren't any foolish answers here."

"I... You're not from here. Not from Far Harbor and not from the Commonwealth. I know that for sure," Wendy said after a moment. "You speak differently. You dress and act differently from anyone I've ever met. This house is different from anything I've ever heard of. And you just seem too... unbothered by everything around you. You're so different that, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were from a... from a..."

"From a different world?" Kravos asked, cocking an eyebrow at the woman.

Wendy huffed, rolling her eyes. "I'd rather you not mock me, Kravos. If I'm wrong, just tell me. I don't need to be..."

She trailed off, eyes going wide as she watched the small magelight Kravos had conjured bob around the room. When it drifted closer to Wendy, the woman nearly climbed out of her seat.

"W-what is that?"

"Magic. A relatively minor spell used to generate light, I mostly use it to read at night. Don't worry, it will not hurt you," Kravos said. "And, yes, I am from another world."

Eyes still wide, Wendy nodded slowly. "Oooh, okay."

Kravos waved his hand, dismissing the magelight. "Yes, anyway. I am from a land called Skyrim. I came here with magic to experience a new adventure -empty nest syndrome gotten out of hand, I'm afraid. However, after I arrived here I found Ashe on this islet and decided to devote myself to caring for her. After that, we lived here mostly in peace until those terrible events that led to our meeting. You've been here for the rest."

Wendy swallowed hard. "I think it says a lot that I can accept that without question. Fuck, I'm dressed like some sort of... fantasy barmaid! The only other option I can think of is that you're an uber-rich, delusional old man who decided to role-play for the rest of your life! But you just show actual fucking magic, so that obviously isn't the case. So I- What is- So, the only question I have left is... what's next?"

Kravos leaned backward in the chair. "Well, as I said, I'm planning to take Ashe back to Skyrim soon. Despite the safe bubble I've managed to create for Ashe here, this land is not a safe place to raise a child. I never planned on staying permanently. Coming here was more of a... adventuring vacation, a temporary amusement. I still have my family back home that I need to return to, as well as far too many political and social responsibilities to ignore. But caring for Ashe made the need to return even more urgent."

"And me? And my children?" Wendy asked, pulling herself back under control.

"You all are more than welcome to join Ashe and I," Kravos said with a shrug. "I always intended to offer you the option, though I was hoping to ease you into it. I would of course support you all, you still be able to live here in my manor with Ashe and I and be her teacher. Though I could also arrange for you all to have your own home. The hamlet I live in has a schoolhouse where you can work to earn your own wages."

The woman took a large sip of her tea before glaring down at it like she wished it was something stronger. "That is... generous. It should be expected by this point, but part of me still feels the need to treat it with suspicion. What if we don't want to come with you? What if we don't want to run away from everything we've ever known to go to this other world of yours? What if I don't want to rely on your goodwill and charity for the rest of our lives? I don't want to think that you'd ever hurt us or change your mind, but things happen and I've learned that trusting people is an excellent way to get hurt."

"Then you don't have to," the Old Dragonborn said. "Natasha left me with the means to contact her. If you do not wish to follow Ashe and I to Skyrim, I can call her. I'm sure she and her Minutemen could find a safe place for you and the children. The choice is yours."

For a long moment, Wendy did not speak. Instead staring back down into her tea. "Do I have to decide now?"

"Of course not," Kravos said. Now he did reach out to give a reassuring squeeze to the woman's knee. She didn't flinch away, which the Old Dragonborn took as a good sign. "I understand that it is a large decision to make. So, please, take your time to rest and think things over. I'll also be more than happy to answer any questions you have."

Wendy nodded, fiddling with her half-full mug of tea before passing it back to Kravos. "It's growing cold."

"I'll find you something warmer."

Kravos dropped down to the cellar floor, ignoring the last few rungs on the ladder. He breathed in the familiar smell of straw and damp, earthy air. The straw smell was stronger than usual, due to the brand-new practice dummy Kravos had constructed for Ashe. He gave a quick glance at the dummy standing in the center of the room. He'd dressed it in old clothes to make the entire experience more realistic, with the clothes adding an extra bit of resistance. In the week since Kravos had set it up, it had acquired a dozen slash marks across its surface, most light, short, and hesitant, though a couple were deeper and more confident.

"Ashe," he called out. "Are you down here, sweetling?"

"Yeah, over here!"

Ashe was slumped on the ground, back against one of the storage barrels, and a thick pad of paper balanced on her legs. A charcoal pencil in her hand, Ashe tapped it against the side of her face -smearing dark marks across her cheek- as she stared down at the paper pensively. When Kravos took a step closer, something crunched under his foot. Glancing down, he was surprised to see at least a dozen balled-up and discarded pieces of paper.

"Are you working on something?" Kravos asked.

"Mmmmhmmm," Ashe hummed, still not looking up from the paper. "Can't get it right though."

"I could help," he offered, trying to lean down to see what his littlest daughter was working on. To Kravos' surprise, it wasn't a drawing Ashe was working on but rather writing.

He didn't get a chance to read any of it though, Ashe pulling the pad of paper close to her chest. When Kravos cocked an eyebrow, the girl gave him a sheepish grin. "Sorry. It's just... personal."

"Hmmm." Kravos dropped down to the hard stone floor, biting back a groan as various aches and pains shot through his back and knees. 'Ugh, there are days I think that I should have died young.'

Still, he forced that thought away as he settled next to his daughter. "How so? If you don't mind me asking."

It took the girl a moment to answer, biting at her lower lip. "I- It's something I want... No, it's something I need to finish before we... move."

Move. What a strange name for the adventure they were soon to depart on. Yet, what else would a child call it? Interdimensional magical travel was certainly a mouthful.

"It's silly," Ashe continued. "I know finishing this thing won't change anything. It won't fix the past or make anything better. Honestly, it's been frustrating me so much that I've been wondering if things were worth it."

"If finishing this project will make you feel better, then, yes, it would be," Kravos said. After a moment, he decided to venture a question. "How do you feel about... moving? I know I've explained to you how the physical process will go, but we have yet to speak about the emotional process. You are leaving behind everything you've ever known, that must be difficult."

The bouncing of the charcoal pencil stopped, and Ashe now finally looked up at Kravos with those beautiful blue-green eyes. "I'm not everything behind," she said. "I'll have you. I'll have Rena. I'll have Scales, this house, Wendy, and her children. I'll have everything I know, it'll just be in a different place."

Kravos gave the girl a small smile, reaching over to stroke back a lock of her fiery red hair. "It warms my heart to hear but still... This world has all of your memories, good and bad."

"Mostly bad," Ashe said. "What am I supposed to miss about this place? The lack of food? The bad water? The lack of sun? The dangerous animals? The radiation poisoning that nearly killed me?"

Ashe scoffed. "I love Mama, but she's gone. She has been for a long time. I'll miss my friends from back in Tough Seed, but I haven't seen them in over a year. They probably think I'm dead! For all know, they're dead too. There... there isn't anything for me here."

The girl blinked away pooling tears and a fragile, yet bright smile grew on her face. "You've told me about the kind of things in your home. Grass, sun, all sorts of animals! And magic too! It's everything I heard about in old stories. I know it won't be perfect. No place is, but I think that I'll like it there. I'm ready to say goodbye to this place."

Glancing down at the paper again, the face slipped away. "Once I finish this."

"Hmmm, shall I sit with you for a while then?" Kravos asked.

"If that's what you want."

"Always, my dear. Always."

And, with that, Kravos closed his eyes, rested his head against the nearest wall, and let the soft scratching of Ashe's pencil against the paper lull him into a snooze.

Kravos woke to the familiar sound of a sharp blade slicing through fabric and straw.

"Ah!" Ashe shrieked, swinging her arm wildly. The small glass blade clutched in her hand caught the light as she swung it once more, leaving a shallow gash down the chest of the dummy. "Ah! Ahhhhhh! AHHHHHH!"

"Ashe? Ashe! Ashlyn, stop that right now!" Kravos demanded, shooting to his feet and grabbing ahold of her wrist. "What has gotten into you, child?!"

Ashe looked up, face flushed red and twisted in anger. She weakly tried to pull her wrist -and the dagger- free, only for Kravos to tighten his grip.

"Ashlyn, if you do not tell me what is going on in this right now then I will take your dagger and your practice bow away from you right now!"

And, with that, all the rage in the girl's tiny body fled. She went limp, collapsing against Kravos' side. "Sorry," she whispered. "I just got... really angry."

"I can tell!" the Old Dragonborn said. "What happened? Did you have another fight with Wendy?"

"No, not it was-"

"Your project," Kravos finished, nodding slowly.

Ashe nodded silently. "After you fell asleep, I was still struggling. And, the more I struggled, the more frustrated I got. And then I got angry, and worried, and even scared! I started thinking... What if I forget something important when we leave? What if Ms. Nat comes back for us and freaks out when we're gone? What if Wendy comes with us and then hates it? Will she hate us then? What if... What if I'm not good enough to be your daughter in Skyrim? What if your family doesn't like me?"

"Oh, sweetling..." Kravos hugged her tight, "Those fears are natural! You do not need to hide your feelings or put up a façade of strength around me! Ashe, I could not love you more if you were my own daughter. Whatever lies ahead -and I will not promise that things will always be perfect or conflictless- you can remember that, for it will always be true. And, yes, Skyrim will be very different from anything you've ever experienced before."

"I will be there with you, helping you to learn and understand your new life. As for my family? I will not lie, they are all much older than you. I cannot promise your relationship with them will be extremely close. But they are good people, many of whom have children of their own, and they will be good to you. As for everything else... How about we talk about them tonight before you go to bed? I do have plans for most of it, and am happy to explain them to you."

Ashe nodded again, face rubbing against his tunic. "Yeah, I'd like that."

"Oh, and do not worry. With the person I am, no one with half a brain or working survival instinct will speak or act poorly to you," Kravos said, a small smile playing on his lips.

"...Okay."

"Good, how about we get started on our midday meal?" he asked. "I'll let you pick it this time."

That got him a smile. "Thanks! I want something with beef."

"Beef it is then." Rubbing Ashe's shoulder, he started to lead her towards the ladder when something caught Kravos' eye. "Ashe? What did you do to the dummy?"

The bright red blush returned to the girl's face. "I tore it up pretty good, huh? Sorry. I can help you fix it."

"No, that isn't what I'm talking about." Kravos sighed, crouching down to point out the various 'wounds' that decorated the dummy. "You indeed sliced this poor straw soul up, yet none of these slashes would be fatal on their own. If this were a real man then you would have doomed him to a slow, agonizing death. Not to mention the energy you would have extended inflicting them. Remember this lesson, Ashe: Never inflict a thousand wounds when a single stab to the heart, throat, or eye will do. So, I must ask, why didn't you go for the killing blow?"

The girl stared down at her feet, seeming to wild in on herself. "It was... staring at me."

"Ah, I see." Kravos glanced up at the dummy's crudely painted eyes before sighing and rubbing his face. He gestured Ashe over. "Come here, child."

Ashe made her way over, a touch of hesitation in her step. When she got close enough, Kravos took her hands -one still clutching the dagger- in his, wrapping them both tight around the hilt of her blade. She sucked in a sharp breath as Kravos positioned her with the tip of the dagger resting against the dummy's 'heart'.

"What do we owe your prey, Ashe?"

She swallowed hard. "A respectful death."

"Exactly." Kravos leaned down to whisper in the girl's ear. "Look it in the eye."

As soon as he was sure Ashe wasn't going to look away, Kravos put his hand overtop of Ashe's and pushed forward sharply, burying the blade into the straw.

"Here," he said, feeling Ashe's small hands flex under his. "From now on, it will be easier to take the killing blow. Now, you mentioned wanting beef for lunch. I have an excellent recipe for Stir-Fried Garlic Beef that you might find interesting!"

"...Okay," Ashe said softly. "Let's good."

So, what did you guys think of the penultimate chapter of 'Ash in the Wind'?